Apparatus for textile dyeing



Sept. 9, 1930. E. J. ABBOTT 1,775,542

' v I APPARATUS FOR TEXTILE DYEING Filed Feb. 19, 1926 a Sheets-Sheet 1Sept. 9, 1930. E. J. ABBOTT 1-,175542 APPARATUS FOR TEXTILE DYEING FiledFeb. 19, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 I I I I I I I I xi i I 4 v .5 7

II I I 0000000 on can ,lfi 4.

Patented. Sept. 9,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD J. ABBOTT, F WILTON, NEW HAMPSHIREAPPARATUS .non TEXTILE DYEING Application filed February 19, 1926.Serial No. 89,389.

This invention pertains to apparatus for use in dyeing textile or otherfibrous materials and more particularly to apparatus of level of thebottom of the dye kettle. Thus,

as the kettle is usually of no great height, the intake of the pump isunder but small static head. As ordinarily constructed the intake anddelivery passages of the pump employed for this purpose are of the sizenormally provided in pumps of the ratingemployed, such rating usuallybeing based uponthe delivery capacity of the pump at normal oratmospheric temperatures.

Since the dye liquor is kept at or near the boiling point where thevapor pressure is quite high it is found that when pumps of the ordinarytype are employed, the rapid rotation of the impeller of the pumpresults in the evolution of steam in the pump intake and so-calledcavitation. Thus instead of acting upon a substantially solid bodyofwater the impeller encounters a foaming mixture of water and vaporwhich greatly reduces the pressure under which the liquid is deliveredby the pump. This decrease in pressure, and the decrease of temperatureconsequent upon induced boiling on lowering the imposed pressure, is ofserious consequence when the apparatus is employed forthe spool dyeingof yarns, roving, etc. In accordance with which the dye liquor must beforced through a mass of material which is frequently both ofsubstantial thickness and density. The failure to maintain a uniform 'orsufficient pressure under such circumstances causes uneven andinsulficient dyeing of the material.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide apparatusfor circulating the boiling dye liquor in a positive and cer-' tainmanner so that if desired the liquor may be delivered uniformly at apressuresulficient to permit spool dyeing.

in the accompanying drawings, certain preferred embodiments of theinvention are illustrated by way of example and in the drawings. Fig. 1is a plan view of'a typical dye kettle employed for spool dyeing, thekettle being adapted to contain a plurality of spools, and

being provided with the improved circulating apparatus forming thesubject matter of the present invention; I

Fig. 2 is a vertical section substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; i

Fig. 3 is a side elevation at substantially right angles to the plane ofthe section of Fig. 2, omitting the spools, and

Fig. 4 is a section similar tothat of Fig. 2 but illustrating a modifiedarrangement in which the kettle is adapted to contain but one spool.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3 of the drawings the numeral 1 designatesthe dye kettle of any usual construction, here shown as substantiallycylindrical and of a suitable diameter to hold a large number of spools.This kettle is provided with a bottom 2 and a false bottom 3 spacedabove the bottom 2 to' provide a plenum chamber 4 between them.

The false bottom 3 is provided with a plurality of openingscorresponding in number to the spools to be mounted in the kettle andeach of these openings is provided with a bushing 5 of suitable materialextending down into the plenum chamber 4 and having slots or othersuitable openings 6, giving ac.- cess to the interior of the bushingfrom the plenum chamber- The upper end ofeaeh bushing 5 is preferably"furnished with a flange 7 adapted to support the lower head 8 of a spoolhaving a perforated barrel 9.

The spool is also furnished with an upper head 8*, and for retaining thespool in position during the dyeing process, a clamp plate 10 is placedupon the upper head of the spool and held down tightly thereagainst bymeans of a rod 11 which passes down through the sleeve 5 and the bottom2 of the kettle and which is furnished with screw threads and nuts atone or both ends for applying a clamping pressure. So far as the presentinvention is concerned the exact means for holding the spool in placeduring the dyeing operation is entirely immaterial as well as thespecific means for supporting the spool and for leading the dye liquorfrom the plenum chamber to the interior of the spool. The steam deliverypipe 39 indicated as illustrative of any usual means for heating thecontents of the kettle.

The false bottom 3 of the kettle is provided with a. large opening 12,preferably at its center, having a bushing 13 which extends down throughthe plenum space 4 and through a similar opening in the bottom 2, thisbushing being provided with suitable packing means to prevent leakagewhere it passes through the members 2 and 3. The bushing 13 is connectedat its lower end to the intake or suction pipe 14 of a slow speedcentrifugal pump 15. This pump has a suitable frame 16 and a drive shaft17. The delivery connection 18 of the pump is attached to a deliverypipe 19 which extends up through the bottom member of the kettle andopens at 20 into the plenum chamber.

The delivery pipe 19 may be of the usual size provided with pumps of theratingemployed but the suction or inlet pipe 14 of the pump is of muchgreater capacity than usual, being here shown as substantially twice thediameter of the delivery pipe. and the intake 14 of the pump is ofsimilarly abnormal size to accommodate the pipe 14.

With this arrangement wherein the suction pipe of the pump is ofabnormally large capacity substantially no difliculty is found fromcavitation or foaming at the intake since the body of liquid deliveredto the intake opening of the pump is greater than the capacity of thepump to deliver and thus substantially no suction effect is produced bythe rotation of the impeller. The pump is thus found to operate insubstantially the same way as though it were subject to a very highfluid installations it is impractical to obtain any such high head.

The improved arrangement just described makes it possible to employ alow speed pump, and this low speed of the pump in a secondary mannerhelps to avoid cavitation at the intake. I

In Fig. 4 I have illustrated a modified arrangement adapted for use witha one spool dye kettle. In this figure the numeral 31 designates the dyekettle having the bottom 32 and the false bottom 33 providing betweenthem the plenum chamber 34.

Centrally of the false bottom 33 I provide a sleeve 35 extendingdownwardly into the plenum chamber and having suitable slots orapertures -to permit fluid from the plenum chamber to enter the sleeve.

This sleeve is furnished on its upper end with a supporting flange forthe lower head 8 of the spool, the supporting means, if desired,consisting of a more or less conical head at the intake, although inusual flange which assists in centering the spool as the latter isintroduced into the dye kettle.

Since there is not room in this single spool type of kettle to arrangethe suction conduit so that it passes up through the false bottom of thekettle I form the outlet for the kettle in its side wall as indicated at43 at a point slightly above the false bottom 33.. For best results Iarrange the pump 45 closely adjacent to the side wall of the kettle withits intake 44 concentric with the outlet opening 43, a suitable fluidtight connection between the side wall of the kettle and the pump intakebeing provided.

The pump 45 is mounted upon a supporting base 46 and is furnished with adelivery pipe 49 which extends up through the bottom 32 of the kettleinto the plenum space 34.

As in the previously described arrangement the intake 44 of the pump isabnormally large as compared with pumps of the same rated capacity,while the delivery pipe 49 may be of a normal size. The operation ofthis modified form is similar to that of the form previously described.

With either of the arrangements herein disclosed a substantially uniformdelivery of dye liquor from the interior of the spool out through thematerial carried thereby may readily be obtained since it is possible toproduce a high delivery pressure even though the dye liquor be kept atthe boiling point at all times.

Having thus described certain preferred embodiments of the inventionwhich it is to be understood merely constitute desirableexemplifications of the principle involved.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for pressure dyeing comprising a dye kettle, a slow speedpump having a delivery pipe of a size substantially normal withreference to the rated capacity of the pump, said pipe leading to thedye kettle, and a suction conduit. of a size much larger than thedelivery pipe, extending from the dye kettle into the intake side of thepump.

2. 'Apparatus for pressure dyeing comprising a dye kettle, a slow speedcentrifugal pump delivering to the kettle through a pipe of normalcapacity as related to the rated capacity of the pump, and an intakeconduit of abnormally large size, as related to the rated capacity ofthe pump, leading from the dye kettle to the intake side of the pump.

3. Apparatus for pressure dyeing material wound upon hollow spools, saidapparatus comprising a dye kettle provided'with a support for a hollowperforated spool, 21-

slow speed centrifugal pump having a de- 1 abnormally large as comparedwith the rated capacity of the pump.

4. Apparatus for pressure dyeing comprising a dye kettle,1a false bottomin the kettle separating a plenum chamber from the main body of thekettle, said false bottom being provided with a support for a hollowspool and having a passage leading from the plenum chamber to theinterior of a spool supported upon said false bottom, a centrifugal pumphaving a delivery pipe communicating with the plenum chamber, the intakeof the pump being of greater capacity than called for by the rating ofthe pump and communicating directly with the interior of the kettle at apoint above the false bottom.

5. Apparatus for pressure dyeing comprising a dye kettle, a false bottomin the kettle separating a plenum chamber fromthe main body of thekettle, said false bottom being provided with a support for a hollowspool and having a passage leading from the plenum chamber to theinterior of a spool supported upon said false bottom, a pump disposedclosely adjacent to the side wall of the kettle, said pump havin anintake of a greater capacity than called for by the rating of the pump,the intake communicating directly with the interior of the kettle at apoint above the false bottom, and a delivery pipe of substantiallynormal capacity as compared with the rated capacity of the pumpextending from the delivery of the pump to the plenum chamber at thebottom of the kettle.

6. Apparatus for pressure dyeing comprising a dye kettle, a false bottomin the kettle separating a plenum chamber from the main body of thekettle, said false bottom being provided-with a support for a hollowspool and having a passage leading from the plenum' chamber to theinterior of a spool supported upon said false bottom, a slow speedcentrifugal pump, and an abnormally large intake conduit as comparedwith the rating of the pump leading from the intake side of the pump tothe interior of the kettle above the false bottom, and apipe of sub--stantially normal size as compared to the rating of the pump connectingthe delivery of the pump. with the plenum chamber at the bottom of thekettle.

Signed by me at Wilton, New Hampshire, this ninth day of February 1926.

. *EDWARD J. ABBOTT.

